Yahoos Riot on May Day In Downtown Seattle

[haha]

A slide show of the repairs underway. Mostly right in the prime central retail district.

Downtown Seattle businesses pick up the pieces after May Day protest damage - Puget Sound Business Journal

This kind of criminal behavior annoys me.

Ha

[brewer12345]

One wonders why the owners of the damaged property did not vigorously protect it.

[Major Tom]

Every time there is an Occupy event here in Oakland, the boards go up over windows in many of the big businesses (and some of the small ones too). Bank Of America is boarded up on a very regular basis, as they particularly like to hit that place.

This time, amongst other actions, the rioters trashed a lot of small businesses in the Mission district of SF. The Mission district is heavily latino and most, if not all, the businesses that suffered damage were small mom and pop type operations, which makes no sense at all. One of the business owners was quoted as saying that she understood the troublemakers didn't represent the core activists behind Occupy but the way she looked at it, if it wasn't for their movement, all this senseless damage wouldn't have happened at all.

I think that people often figure that insurance will cover it, so it's all OK. That's often not the case with small businesses and these kinds of actions, particularly if repeated, can force them to close down for good.

It's disgusting behavior.

[FIREd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom Every time there is an Occupy event here in Oakland, the boards go up over windows in many of the big businesses (and some of the small ones too). Bank Of America is boarded up on a very regular basis, as they particularly like to hit that place. This time, amongst other actions, the rioters trashed a lot of small businesses in the Mission district of SF. The Mission district is heavily latino and most, if not all, the businesses that suffered damage were small mom and pop type operations, which makes no sense at all. One of the business owners was quoted as saying that she understood the troublemakers didn't represent the core activists behind the Occupy movement, but the way she looked at it, if it wasn't for Occupy, all this senseless damage wouldn't have happened at all. I think that people often figure that insurance will cover it, so it's all OK. That's often not the case with small businesses and these kinds of actions, particularly if repeated, can force them to close down for good. It's disgusting behavior.

Yes, it is senseless.

Trashed Mission District businesses want answers

[ShortInSeattle]

Those pictures are from my neighborhood, where I live and work. It feels like a violation of our rather peaceful and polite city. Masked cowards who use civil protest as a cover for evil.



SIS

[Texas Proud]

Usually it is a few anarchists that will plan the violence.... and tag along with others who do not want violence... it makes it look like their cause has more people....

Or it could be just some hoodloms who thought that it would be a good idea to do some of this under cover of a crowd...

Hopefully there is some video and some will be caught.... but the anarchists know better and hide their faces...

[DFW_M5]

Time for rubber bullets, tear gas and batons

[JPatrick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Time for rubber bullets, tear gas and batons

+1

[james7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom Every time there is an Occupy event here in Oakland, the boards go up over windows in many of the big businesses (and some of the small ones too). Bank Of America is boarded up on a very regular basis, as they particularly like to hit that place. This time, amongst other actions, the rioters trashed a lot of small businesses in the Mission district of SF. The Mission district is heavily latino and most, if not all, the businesses that suffered damage were small mom and pop type operations, which makes no sense at all. One of the business owners was quoted as saying that she understood the troublemakers didn't represent the core activists behind Occupy but the way she looked at it, if it wasn't for their movement, all this senseless damage wouldn't have happened at all. I think that people often figure that insurance will cover it, so it's all OK. That's often not the case with small businesses and these kinds of actions, particularly if repeated, can force them to close down for good. It's disgusting behavior.

How did she know that the troublemakers didn't represent the core activists behind Occupy? The core activists WERE a part of these civil disorders simply because they could have stopped it or worked with the authorities to prevent or minimize it. They chose not to. Like in every other situation, one is either part of the solution or part of the problem. [MOD EDIT]. I think the lady storeowner who was interviewed was just being nice so that the[y] [MOD EDIT] would not go after her or her business.

And the Occupy movement claims to be for the working men and women? What a farce!! [MOD EDIT]

[james7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Time for rubber bullets, tear gas and batons

Why rubber bullets? Why risk the possibility of the police getting injured using batons? Remember the Korean immigrant merchants who defended their businesses and their lives with real bullets during the Rodney King riots twenty years ago? It worked quite well then.

[M Paquette]

Fortunately, they haven't caused any significant harm. It's all just prole on prole violence. No country clubs, executive heliports, or residential enclaves have been threatened or damaged.

[Gotadimple]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Time for rubber bullets, tear gas and batons

Actually, the Seattle Police used that exact strategy during the World Trade Organization meeting. It hasn't deterred the anarchists.

-- Rita

[MichaelB]

Is there a FIRE aspect to this topic, other than downtown Seattle becoming a less attractive location to retire?

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelB Is there a FIRE aspect to this topic, other than downtown Seattle becoming a less attractive location to retire?

here's the FIRE aspect

[DFW_M5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by james7 Why rubber bullets? Why risk the possibility of the police getting injured using batons? Remember the Korean immigrant merchants who defended their businesses and their lives with real bullets during the Rodney King riots twenty years ago? It worked quite well then.

I was trying to be politically correct, but heck yeah, if it were my business, I'd be out their defending it with a TRP Operater strapped to my hip.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 I was trying to be politically correct, but heck yeah, if it were my business, I'd be out their defending it with a TRP Operater strapped to my hip.

If it were my business 1) it would have been well insured and 2) I would have been sticking a 12ga in the snout of these yahoos (and I would not be using rubber bullets).

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 If it were my business 1) it would have been well insured and 2) I would have been sticking a 12ga in the snout of these yahoos (and I would not be using rubber bullets).

These are all high end national and international retailers- Starbucks, Barney's, Tiffany, Nordstrom, J. Crew, ...Aeropostale.

Not really the type of shops to have some guy with a shotgun on hand. Besides, the management is much more interested in avoiding trouble and bad press than they are in protecting their stores and inventory.

I would guess the "occupiers" are smart enough to stay away from the cigarette shops and nail parlors and Asian groceries out on 99N, or similar local and/or ethnic businesses.

The SPD IMO is notorious for not doing a good job of crowd control. And they are currently under a justice department investigation for racial and other insensititivities in their policing. They are perceived to have a bad habit of shooting poor people who do not pose any obvious threat to anyone.

Ha

[Nemo2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFW_M5 Time for rubber bullets

Rubber bullets should only be used on those people throwing rubber rocks, rubber bricks or rubber bottles............if real rocks, bricks or bottles are thrown....well then.........

[Brat]

My perverse approach:

After placing lots of high quality recording cameras in likely problem areas I wonder if some exploding packets of permanent dye placed where damage is likely to occur might help identify perpetrators. Just make the ink characteristics slightly different from shop to shop and it shouldn't be difficult to associate a perpetrators with behavior.

[Zero]

Wow, looks like police stood by and just let it happen. That is really close to a condo tower the DW and I were looking at buying into. Escala. Wonder if it was targeted?